Arithmonania

I am not one of those people who feels the need to count things. I don't know or care how many steps go down the basement. This lack of interest in numbers has become something of a liability when I knit. I have a couple of those click counter things, but inevitably I forget to click the silly thing and my count is always off.

However, on a whim, I decided to put a counter on my blog. I wanted to know just how many people do stop by and check out my inane rambling. I was surprised to see in just over a week, I have had over 100 people visit my blog. Whoa, that was a shock, I thought I would maybe have 2o (and yes I discounted all the times I semi-obsessively checked the counter), but the number was far more than I could fathom. I hope I am not too boring or random for the miscellaneous people who stop by.

I have been shopping my friends blogs to see what kind of counters they have. I was particularly enamoured by the one that keeps track of visitors' country. Granted she is really into Japanese pop music, so for her it makes sense. As much as I would like to have one of those tickers on the side I will just stick to the simple free down load counter. Oh and okay, I will try to be less obsessive about the counter, but to my friends and visitors come by see my blog (often).

Taters Sack

My girlfriend has two dogs she calls her "Taters." One day while I was knitting she asked me why hadn't knitted her a Tater Sack to use when she takes the Taters to playgroup. With the hubris of someone who has no idea she is about to embark on a roman a clef of knitting that will teach her to see she is small in the world of fiber arts. I said, "No Problem."

You can guess the problems were epic with the biggest problem being me. I tend to think large, larger than life in most cases. This sack is exactly what I am talking about. I totally disregarded the direction and knitted on more stitches than I needed thinking, I want it big! Okay maybe not this big. I kept thinking it would felt down. And with lavendergrrl's help it did, but maybe I should have boiled it in a vat to shrink it down to the reasonable size I wanted. In the end it was 20 wide and 12 tall. So instead of a tater sack, I got a tater messenger sack.

Next came the desire to put a name on the sack. So with a sturdy needle and some stencils I struggled through the embroidery work of putting Tater Sack on the bag. Once my fingers were sore from this effort, but the task complete, I felted the sack again. It did shrink a little, but still this sack stayed huge.

Okay, lastly came the attaching of the strap. At this point the gods of fiber showed mercy on me and I recognized my weakness. I knew I needed the big guns. I went once again to my friend, lavendergrrl, and she attached a belt for the strap. Done the Tater Sack is mostly what I envisioned it to be only wider. I am so glad this sack is out of my life. The recipient of the Tater Sack is very happy with her bag. So happy in fact I have yet to see her use it. And yet from this task I did not learn my lesson. If you don't believe me see previous post.

The Saga of a Scarf

This is a very knitterly post, so I apologize to the non-knitters who are reading this blog. I hate short scarves, I find they don't serve my need for the dramatic swathing of a garment around my neck. I have already to my credit 2 very long scarves. In my defense, the first one was my proto knitter scarf rife with errors. The second was in fact a gift for my minion the giant. So the length was actually perfect for him. However, I have no excuse for my third foray into the world of neck wear.

I bought some extra soft malabrigo yarn and thought it would be very cool to knit something on the vertical. With no clear idea how to get the right measurement, I just cast on as many stitches as I could stand on circular needles. This scarf was very laboriously knitted and I still don't know how many stitches marched down the cable. I tried to count once, but lost count after 300. So let's just say, it was a lot. As I was running out of yarn, I decided it would be best to bind off. Well this scarf when draped on before mentioned giant puddled at each of his shoes. YIKES! So it was into the land of frogs for me.

Starting over with the malabrigo I cast on 300 stitches thinking this would be a nice long scarf, but not too long. Alas, it was again almost too long. Looping it around my neck twice it is past my knees on both sides. Granted it is very warm and very luxurious with the fringe I added, because well, it just needed fringe! And the kicker is that it is sooo long that it is actually stretching itself out more. Sigh. So I must consign myself to the fact that I am the queen of long scarves. Next time I knit a scarf I promise on the softest wool I can find to never intentionally knit a scarf this long. Fingers crossed behind my back kind of promise.

I can resist anything, but temptation.

Oscar Wilde had me pegged when he quiped out that line. It is so true, I can resist spinach and Jehovah witnesses without so much as a glance backwards, but put cherry pie in front of me and it is over, tempation 9 million, Tempesttea 0. I do in fact love cherries, and to be brutally honest if I were just offered the pie filling I would be very happy and completely incapable of resisting the sticky sweetness before me. I have so little self control that right now I should be getting ready ready for bed and instead I am typing away, thinking about cherry pie. I wonder, should I just give in and go get some pie or just go to bed? Will I dream of cherry pie and at about 4 in the morning wake up, throw on clothes and drive to some all night truck stop and get pie? Or maybe I will just run to Shnucks and pick up a can of cherry pie filling. If I do that I can take a can opener and spoon and just eat it in the car on the way home. I see the plan coming together brilliantly, why can't I plan like this for something like paying my bills, cleaning my house, or exercising. Obsession is never pretty.

Tea and knitting

I was originally blue about my birthday. It has been a rough year. I have been trying to be healthy about this process, but for some reason my birthday became this looming date. I felt as if a stumbling block was in my way, and for those who know me, I am not the most graceful of creatures. So with some trepidation I went to my weekly IHOP get together with the knitters in my life. I walked in and was surprised by a wonderful celebration in my honor. I was so warmed by the love, that all I could do was smile like a big dope. My friends had all embarked on a group project for my birthday. They knitted me a fiestaknitware set. It is AWESOME!!! They had found the pattern on the web and decided it was exactly what I needed for my birthday (http://www.knittingdaily.com/freepatterns/toys/Fiesta_Tea_Set_Childrens_Toys90-1.html).

And they were exactly right. My birthday went from blue to green, pink, orange, purple, teal, and red. I cried a little and could only keep asking who knit which piece. The two gentlemen knitters split up the project with one knitting the saucer and the other knitting the cup. Another knitter took on the creamer and decided it was so much fun she had to make a cup too. The teaport and sugar bowl are so beautiful, I can't stop looking at them. The colors chosen were so vividly amazing. At the last minute my beloved Cuz was conscripted to do a cup and saucer. She was so happy about the project and informed me it was fun knitting. I stole some pictures from Rachel to prominently display the work of some proud knitters. I cannot imagine a more thoughtful or unifying gift. I am lucky and feel in the most real sense of the word blessed. And then the always wonderful Semperfiona baked me a teapot cake!!! I can't even begin to imagine how she achieved so effectively one of the best birthday cakes I have ever had, but it was so perfect.

I just love how the lid of the teapot is flipped up, like the tempest in the teapot has gotten so out of control it lifted the lid up and caused the storm to dissipate. Kind of like my sadness, the party made me hopeful, ready to let some of this baggage from the past year go, and to start moving forward. I just need to focus that with good friends and bright colors, the darkness I have been through will disappear. I want to make sure lavendergrrl, semperfiona, ohari, scottake,Rachel, transplantmom, 7letterdeborah, Lenora, Cuz, sunglazing, and girlfriend know how much the love I felt Wednesday night has made me warm all week. Thank you. Thank you for so much, the gift of knowing you all, the gift of learning from your examples, and the gift of allowing this too fabulous Pisces into your amazing lives. Blink, blink, sniffle, sniffle.

Me being very green and very happy!

Not all babies are cute at first

Everyone who was there said I was pretty baby, round and rosy. However, this picture was obviously taken before I had time to primp. I think I look kind of like I feel today, cranky. I also love the whole squinty eye thing. About the only thing I really would approve of in this shot is the little kewpie doll hairdo, but maybe I just have a pointy head. Regardless, in the days before ultrasounds this was my first photo shoot. I improved with age and learned to quit squinting when not in the sun. But I think for those of you who will know when I am much older then I am today, this is what I will look like as I ripen.